The iPad is the new handheld tablet computer that everyone knows was recently released by Apple, and if you did not know what it was, then you need to learn. It has recently made a big hit for both consumers and developers alike with its popularity. If you were planning to buy an iPad, despite all of the endless articles and gripes about all the “things wrong with it,” then looking into some of the accessories would also be a good idea.
Why the Accessories?
You might ask yourself why you would want to get accessories for such an item. The answer is simple; with accessories, anyone will have the ability to take advantage of the iPad’s full potential and, with some of the accessories available for it, prolong its life by protecting it. After all, at around $500, the iPad is a relatively serious investment and you should take good care of it, yes? You should also keep in mind you need to add a few specific accessories if you are planning to use the iPad on the road or for business purposes as well.
The Obvious Winner
Probably one of the better thought of accessories for the iPad that will not only come in handy for protection, but style as well, is the protective case. The reason for this is obvious; the iPad comes with an exposed touchscreen. This means that it will have to be protected from the usual bumps and bruises that are inevitable when carrying it around.
The cases come made with different types of material such as cloth, Kevlar and even wood. Starting at $39, some of them will even protect the iPad from shock and dust particles. The case that you get should also include a stand, without which you will have to hold it up the whole time as you and your pub buddies watch that latest flash, er…ah, I mean HTML5 based movie.
Sound Check
The next accessory on the list that one may want is some headphones. If you would like to listen to music, then getting a set of iPad headphones would be a good idea, too. Maybe some speakers would be in order instead if you were watching movies on it. If you have a crowd of people watching the same movie, then you would want to enhance the quality of the sound, right? Speakers would do just that, now only if Apple had released some..,..
Now Docking on the iPad
The iPad has a touch screen display. Using a touch screen display may not always be convenient for some people. In this case getting an iPad keyboard dock would be a good thing. Now one will be able to plug in the keyboard and work with ease. Another must have iPad accessory is the iPad dock. This accessory will re-charge the iPad. The dock will also allow you to sync the iPad to a computer.
You really should plan on buying a dock as without it there will be some limitations on your normal use of the iPad, such as no USB ports, but it has potential for other goodies as well so it will ease the sting of the price. There are also several keyboard options available, other than the virtual one supplied, so check them all out.
Photos? Not Without This Accessory…
The fun will really begin when you try to upload photos to your shiny new IPad. You cannot, well not without the iPad camera connection kit. You see, there are no USB ports available so this little white box will connect you your iPad and allow you to connect your digital camera to it and upload your photos. Without it there would be no sharing on Facebook or Flicker. This could actually be thought of as a business app, the reason being that it supports RAW format files, and with the form factor of the iPad professional photo’s could find it very useful for viewing photographs in the field.
Along those same lines, check out the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter. This will allow you to then show those photos and videos on a bigger screen. Most of these accessories are reasonable, $29 with exception of the cases and that means that you can jazz it up cheap. So enjoy already will ya?
Apple: Apple iPad Keyboard Dock
Apple Store: Apple iPad Case
Apple Store: Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit
Apple Store: Apple iPad Docking Station
Apple Store: Apple iPad VGA Connector
Apple Store: Apple iPad Earphones
